


The Break-Up

by SandyD



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-17
Updated: 2014-03-07
Packaged: 2018-01-04 23:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1086932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SandyD/pseuds/SandyD
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arya and Gendry break-up, but both don't want to leave their apartment, so they keep living together…<br/>Slightly based on the movie the Break-Up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Break-Up

**Author's Note:**

> I first posted this on ff before I had an account here and now I thought why not post it here to, so here we go.
> 
> This is going to be my first multi-chapter fic and my first modern, so please be nice. I appreciate critiques and comments, especially since English isn’t my native language. I try to update regularly, but I also still have school, so don’t expect too much. 
> 
> I know a break-up is not really what we want from our favorite couple, but I had this idea and I wanted to just write it out. I got this idea from the movie the Break-up, but I’m not going to follow that storyline. I just borrow the basic idea: Arya and Gendry break-up, but both don’t want to leave the apartment, so they keep living together…  
> To clear things up, this are the ages:
> 
> Arya = 24  
> Gendry= 27
> 
> All rights go to GRRM and the idea that I borrowed from the movie the Break-up.

“You leave me alone, AGAIN!”

“I don’t fit in there Arya, you know that! You know what happened the last time I went!”

“That was three years ago, stupid!”

“Yeah that’s right three years and we were already together for at least a year and still your family doesn’t accept me!”

She didn’t have a response for that statement; she couldn’t deny it, because it was true. Her parents and siblings still looked at Gendry with disdain and she knew him already for what? Seven years? And they were in a relationship for around five years, they even lived together for more than three years and still the family didn’t accept him.

The biggest problem was her mother she cared for social status and Gendry didn’t come from money. She was so proud when Gendry started his own business and became a car dealer. He was always so passionate about cars, motors and that kind of stuff. When she told her mother the news, she looked at her with disgust, while Arya was so proud of her friend, her man. They weren’t married and that was a reason to dislike their relationship even more, but it also resulted in hope from her mother’s side. She never told Gendry that her mother tried to set her up on these social events, it was better to keep that to herself. Gendry only would feel even worse about himself.

Her mother was a problem, but her father was in a way worse. Her father always supported her in her decisions and she knew his reason to dislike their relationship had nothing to do with how rich Gendry was. She still remembered the first time she introduced Gendry to her father. Her boyfriend had been so nervous and she squeezed his hand in reassurance before she smiled to her father, “This is my boyfriend, Gendry”. His reaction was not what she expected from her father, he first looked shocked from Arya to Gendry, as if he had seen a ghost. Then he narrowed his eyes to Gendry and observed him. After that the interrogation began: What is your last name? Where do you come from? Who is your mother? Who is your father? And so on. She had stilled immediately, Gendry hated to talk about his mother, who had died when he was younger and his father who left his mother and him before he was born, “He probably doesn’t even know I exist,” he had said before to her.

Her brothers also had trouble to accept that Arya moved over childhood crushes and was now in a committed relationship. Jon had the most difficulty, he was almost as bad as her father and insisted just as her father that he would hurt her in the end. They said that five years ago and they both still say that while her and Gendry still live together and have a stable living. She still adored Jon, but they never talked about her relationship and he never came over to her place and it saddened her, but she wouldn’t give up Gendry.  
Robb had troubles in the beginning and even tried to set her up with Elmar Frey! “He is more like us Arya, you will have fewer troubles with him”. She could have killed Robb, but he had tried to help her even when he didn’t. She would go through all those troubles for Gendry off course she would and now they were here five years later together in their own apartment. Robb actually gave Gendry a chance after that, he was the only one. These days Gendry and Robb were almost friends, they still came from different societies. Robb was next in line to take over the billion dollar business from her father and Gendry just started his own small business, which maybe had a net income of 40.000. But that was no problem, because he loved what he did and he didn’t expect Arya to sit at home, so she also worked to bring money in. But sometimes when she came home, she saw her brother and her boyfriend playing a videogame or watching a sports game and drinking a beer, it warmed her heart that at least Robb got on well with him.   
He wasn’t the only one, Bran didn’t need to give Gendry a chance, because he immediately accepted him and liked him even. She had done her first introductions and her heart sank when Bran walked in with his crutches. She almost stammered, no one had reacted as she expected and she was on the brick of tears, why couldn’t they just accept her boyfriend. “Bran,” her voice was softer than normal and now Gendry was the one who gave her a reassuring squeeze, “I want you to meet Gendry, my-my boyfriend.” Bran looked up and holds out his hand and Gendry accepted it, which was the most welcome gesture anyone had given him that day. “Nice to meet you Gendry and I thought Arya would never fall in love with anyone.” Bran laughed and then Arya did to, finally someone who accepted him. It was too bad that bran wasn’t in town, for a long time. He was finishing his university to get his master in some science, that she already forgot, it was something with neuro, neurosomething.  
Rickon was younger, but also protective over Arya and looked from day one with mistrust to Gendry. He still looked at Gendry as if he stole Arya away from her family, well actually that was what he thought, because he had stated that literally to Arya. “And what about Robb with Jeyne, and what about Jon when he had a relationship with Ygritte.” Rickon stated that that was different, because they didn’t stole them away, not like Gendry did with her. She tried to explain that it was the same, or that she maybe never was as close with the family as the rest was. Yes she wasn’t in the family business and she didn’t live with them anymore and she didn’t go that much to their family dinner on Sunday, but that would have been the same without Gendry. While maybe not the latter, but that was their own fault, they were the ones bitching to Gendry, she would love to go to the family dinner with Gendry, but not when they made him feel even worse then he already felt.   
Sansa reacted as Sansa, maybe the only reaction that went as she expected it to. Sansa dragged her to her room, when he was gone. “He is not from a high family,” Arya immediately wanted to protest, sick of everyone’s opinion, but Sansa held up her hand, that was her sign to stop. “As I said he isn’t from a rich family, but he is actually handsome, clearly likes you and I hope he makes you happy for as long that the relationship will last.” She had hugged her sister, but later on she understood that Sansa thought that it was just a fling, nothing serious, because he wasn’t rich. Oh my what was she wrong.   
  
“They will never accept me Arya,” he rubbed his face with when hand in exhaustion or almost surrender.   
  
“Bran does, just as Robb and Sansa isn’t that bad,” she tries, she always tries to make him come with her, to get through the torture together. He never goes anymore, not after the last time.   
  
“Really Arya, really? Do you think that’s enough? When we started dating it was clear that Jon was your favorite and you admired your dad as a God and you still do.” He let go of a breath and looked at her. “You didn’t even mention the others in the beginning. If only one family member disliked me, ok I could live with that. But the most of your family doesn’t like me. Can you imagine what the friends of your family will think of me? Oh no wait we don’t have to imagine that. They made that pretty clear!” His voice rose at the end of the sentence and she felt herself cringe. She hadn’t seen Gendry so helpless before and so angry at the same time. She could feel that this was a different kind of fight than normal, but that’s because of everything else.   
  
“I don’t ask you to come now! I just said that I would like for us to try again, it’s been years since we really tried. We could just-“

“NO, no no no. Arya I just can’t. I think I tried for a long time now and it wasn’t enough. I think it should come from your family now. They just put your name on the Christmas cart and send invitations only to you. My name is never mentioned! They don’t want me there Arya, they don’t!”

“I know you tried stupid! But it’s already a year since the last time. And I just would like to go to one of the Sunday family dinner-“

“Then go, I don’t mind-“

“I mean with you! I want to go to a family dinner with you! I want you with me to these stupid social events, so I could show of my boyfriend and make sure that I don’t have to entertain some stupid man who’s still single!”

“So that’s what you’re doing?”

“Like I said I don’t want to-"

“So every time you go to your parent’s house you are set up? And you never told me? Why Arya? Why didn’t you tell me before? Am I truly not good enough anymore?”

“What should I have said: oh my mom sets me up with people at those events, because you could have know she would do that! What would have been different if I had told you? Would you have come with me then?”

“No Arya, no I wouldn’t. Because it’s not my world and we both know that. But I start to realize that it actually is yours. Rickon was right all the time,” a dry laugh followed and she never had heard something worse in her life, “Your family is right, we can’t belong together, because a relationship between people from such different worlds can’t last. And Rickon is right, because I am keeping you from them, from your family, from your old friends, from your world.”

She looked questionably at him. “What do you mean Gendry?”

“I think we both know what I mean. I mean that it’s probably best for both of us-"

“You’re breaking up with me,” her eyes widened in realization, but it soon turned into anger. Anger at him her stupid bull-headed boy, but was he still hers now? And angry at her family it’s all because of them, if they just had accepted him. But in this moment she couldn’t think straight and she didn’t want to appear weak and she didn’t want to cry in front of him. “You know what? Fine! You’re right this doesn’t work!” She stormed out of the house in her red dress; she only started to cry when she was seated in her car. She started to drive to her parent’s house and the social gathering there was now. But then she thought better of it, everyone would just try to apologize but be happy from the inside and they couldn’t hide that. Her mother would push her to Edric Dayne, even when he had a girlfriend now, or one of the other free men there. She didn’t know where to go, she just drove around. She couldn’t believe that that just happen. Did she and Gendry really just broke up, it felt so unreal.


	2. Realizations

He couldn’t process what just had happened. She was already gone for hours, first he expected her to be gone for the whole evening. What was it this time? Just one of the social gatherings of the higher class, but Robb had called him two hours ago why Arya wasn’t there yet. Gendry had made up an excuse, that she didn’t feel good. He didn’t want them to be worried about her it wouldn’t do any good and he knew everyone would blame him, again.

He was pacing through the living room and then sitting on the couch with his face buried in his hands. He didn’t really mean the things he had said to Arya earlier and he never thought about breaking up with her before that argument. Well maybe in the beginning, when he didn’t feel good enough for her, well he still didn’t feel good enough for her, but that’s beside the point. He hadn’t meant to break up and then she did it for him and that hurt more than he could imagine. She had said it so easy; maybe she already was planning to break up? He shook his head; no she looked too shocked for that.

All the frustration from the past months came out in this one argument, the frustration actually was the problem. He had been so busy with his own company, that he had less time for Arya. Especially with all the troubles Gendry faced with having his own company. He had a lot of orders these past months, maybe more then he could handle, on top of that an employee caused trouble, well actually tried to steal money from the business and he had to manage all of that. Gendry never had to lead other people and he was never a manager or had real management experience and he had to study for that. Arya always supported him, but also had her own work and it seemed like all social events where in this period of the year. That resulted in an Arya with a bad mood, who thought that Gendry left her alone and didn’t spend enough time with her. The latter was true, and it also contributed to Gendry’s own bad mood. He couldn’t even remember the last time they had sex, that was really bad. He just seemed to realize how strained their relation was the past months.

He took a breath and looked up to the clock, it was already eleven o’clock, and his alarm would go of at five. He really should go to bed, but how could he sleep without knowing where Arya was, if she was okay. He wished she would just come home and then he would apologize. He would say that they would go to the Sunday dinner next weekend. He will promise that he will try again, even when it was a lost cause. But he could just sit next to Robb and Arya at dinner and he would be okay. As far away from the scrunching eyes of Eddard Stark, the look of disgust from Catelyn, the murderous look from Jon Snow and he immediately knew why he hated those dinners. He mentally slapped himself, just do it for Arya, don’t talk yourself out of it.

He smiled then, that would work. He would apologize, go to a dinner and have good make up sex and everything would be fine again. His mood brightened instantly and a small smile formed on his lips. The only problem was that Arya wasn’t there. He should go look for her; there were a few places where she could be that he knew of. He got of off the couch and just reached the hallway when the front door burst open. Arya walked inside and hit the door, he cringed her mood obviously hadn’t brightened. Her eyes narrowed at him and he couldn’t remember a time that she looked so angry at him, angry wasn’t even the good word to describe it. He never had seen Arya with such a look, so cruel and hateful. He wanted to apologize and just opened his mouth to speak, but Arya beat him to it.

“Don’t you stand there looking at me with that stupid look.”

He ignored the venom in her voice and his temper started to flare up within him. How could she react that way, as if it meant nothing, as if he meant nothing. She passed him and made her way to the kitchen. No explanation, nothing. He could feel his own mood darken, she had disappeared and he had worried sick for two hours and now she just walked by and said nothing. He shouldn’t react on his temper, but she just infuriated him so much. ‘Where have you been? You weren’t at your parent’s house. Robb called to ask where you’ve been.”

“It’s none of your business,” there was a small silence and then she continued, “since we’re not together anymore.”

He looked how she casually drank a glass of water and the thought of an apology already had left his mind. That was it, she made it official. He wondered where it went wrong in the past couple of hours, where it went wrong in their argument. Nut it actually already went wrong for a longer time, it was not just today, it seems like after today it was just too much. So why was he still surprised that it happened? He didn’t know if he was prepared for this and what should they do now? The past couple of years were relatively stable and now everything was going to change. He couldn’t really believe it for himself yet. It felt all just like a dream, or maybe more a nightmare. He didn’t say anything and turned around, before he would lash at her again. He now knew she was save and maybe she would cool down later, maybe she just needed more time. But when he thought about their relationship, he could see that it was doomed from the beginning. Like they both had said, it just doesn’t work. 

He just wanted to sleep now, he was tired of all the feelings of today, all those emotions tired him out. He undressed himself and put on sweatpants and wanted to go into bed when he heard a noise behind him.

“You’re not going to sleep here.”

He immediately turned around, “wha-WHAT!?” He look incredulously at her, “It’s my bed!”

She shook her head, “We broke up and I’m not going to sleep next to you.”

“Well if you have a problem with that m’lady, why don’t you sleep on the couch?” He had to keep his own emotions in hand. He remembered a discussion from years ago. He wouldn’t let her sleep on the couch then, she could have his bed. She off course didn’t accept that. He had won that argument after some bickering; he ended up on the couch. He had an idea that tonight he would lose the argument and again would end up on the couch. More because of all the sentiment, emotions and memories that reminded him about their good times, there were so many good times to. 

She had an evil smirk and it felt as if she was looking him down, “And since when do you let a lady sleep on the couch?” 

His eyes widened, she always denied that she was a lady. She never even used it in her advantage in an argument, up until now. “You are no lady.”

“You always call me that.” She opened the closet and pulled his clothes out of it, “Most of the stuff in here is mine, so from now on this is my room, my own space.” Then she pushed a basket in his hands, in which she had put his clothes or at least the most of it. 

“You can’t just throw me out OUR room! It’s just as much mine as it’s yours.”

“Well as you can see I can,” she pushed him out the door and he was still to dumbstruck to fight her. “The couch is yours.”

He then looked at the small woman in front of him, “If the bedroom is your area, then the living room is mine and you’re not allowed there.” Now there was also venom in his voice, he finally caught up to her level. 

“Fine,” she snapped at him and pushed some blankets in his hands that she just got out of the closet. She turned around and walked to the bed. She grabbed his pillow and then threw it at his face.

He looked angry at her after the pillow had hit his face and fell to the ground. “Thank you,” is it normal that your voice sounds deeper and gruffer when you’re angry? He holds the basket in one hand and the pillow and blanket in the other and stormed through the hallway to the living room. He heard the bedroom door slammed shut. 

He made the couch and finally lied down; he was even more tired if that was possible. The problem was that he couldn’t get comfortable on the couch. He was too long and his lower legs dangled over the edge of the couch. He kept turning and he just couldn’t get to sleep. He wondered why he couldn’t sleep now, while he sometimes while watching TV fell asleep in an instance, even when he didn’t want to. It just wasn’t fair and Arya probably had a great sleep in the comfortable big bad. After any other argument he would have come back to bed, begged for forgiveness and apologize. But this was different and he feared for his life, would he try to come into the bed for her. She really looked murderous, even more then Jon Snow and he thought that wasn’t even possible. 

The next morning he woke with a terrible ache in his back and neck. He wondered how long it would take before he could share the big bed again, but maybe he should change that and wonder how long it would take before they moved out and he could have a bed for his own again.


	3. Thursday Nights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah I know I’m a sappy person. But this was one of the first scenarios when I thought of this fic and I had to write it.

Thursdays were always the days that she came home late. She had a flexible work schedule, that required her to start and end late on Thursday. She normally didn’t mind that much, she had to admit that it normally would be her favorite days, because of him. It was only since Sunday that they had broken up and she still couldn’t get used to it. They luckily had a different schedule, so they didn’t had awkward breakfasts or needed to wait angrily in front of the bathroom for the other person. Sometimes she would wake up early and they would break their fast together, or he planned himself in later and made breakfast for the both of them. That were all surprises, but since the first Thursday they lived together, Thursdays were holy, it was just their night.

_She hated Thursdays, she was tired and hungry. She hated her schedule, she had just finished and it was already dark out, she had to make food to still her hunger and she actually just wanted to take a nap. She had warned Gendry about her schedule and she had said to him that he just could eat already. Who is the genius that thought that working till seven pm is acceptable. Before she was home it would be half past and the earliest her dinner would be ready is at eight._

_She was in a fool mood and opened the front door of their amazing apartment. She knew for sure that this had been the best decision of her life, now she could see him every day and their apartment felt after five days already as their home._

_The first thing she noticed when she walked in was the great smell of food and she could hear her stomach rambling. She laid her bag down in the hallway under the peg and hung up her coat._

_“Hello, Gendry?” She walked inside their apartment in the meanwhile._

_“In here.”_

_That was definitely from the kitchen and that’s also where that great smell came from, what did he eat that smelled so good? She was almost starting to get jealous. She walked in and stood frozen in shock in the kitchen door. Gendry just laid down to plates on the set table, like really set wineglasses included. He poured some white wine in the glasses, she could see that it was her favorite wine. He walked around the table and pulled at her stool, so she could sit._

_“Come sit m’lady, dinner is ready.” He smirked while he said it._

_She should come back with a restore, but she was still too much in shock. She just walked over and sat down when he pushed the stool under her. She followed him with her eyes when he started to sit down in his stool, still smiling. She looked to the food and then to him with a puzzled look. He clearly ignored her and hold his wineglass in front of him, intended for her to touch it with her own one as a toast. She lifted her own glass and a small cling sounded in the quiet room._

_“Cheers.”_

_“I said to you that you could eat for yourself, order something. That you didn’t had to wait for me.”_

_“I just felt like it.”_

He apparently felt like it every Thursday since then. They normally would drink a glass of wine, while eating a delicious meal. Gendry always did his best to put something good on the table. She had asked him one time how long he took, he just shook his head laughing, saying that it’s his secret.

She didn’t mind, the food was perfect, the company was perfect and he made the night perfect. They most of the time just ended up laying on the couch while watching a movie, or a sports game when there was one on TV. He never asked her to watch sport, but she just knew from the look in his eyes that there was something that he wanted to watch on. She didn’t mind what they watched, so she always proposed to watch it. That was in the beginning, Gendry never asked in the last year, just put it on when he there was something and she still didn’t mind. In the end she would lay in his arms and taking her nap, while he watched TV. It was the perfect romantic night for her.

There would be no romantic nights now. She stepped out of the car and ran to the door, because the rain poured down. She also had troubles with finding her keys while standing in the rain. After a minute she finally stood in her hallway, soaking wet. Her mood couldn’t darken more. She removed her wet coat and walked to her bathroom to change. She put her sweatpants on and a shirt that actually belonged to Gendry. She didn’t really thought about it, she just always wore the shirt inside their home. She pulled her bathrobe around her, because she was still cold from the rain.

She was hungry and walked to the kitchen and didn’t want to think about how different Thursdays normally were. She was stunned and maybe even more shocked then her first Thursday living with Gendry.

The table was set for one person, including the wineglass and the wine standing next to it. She saw a note laying on the plate and she slowly grabbed it and bit her lip while reading it.

**Hey,**

**Food lays in the fridge.**  
 **You just have to heat it up.**  
 **I’m out, have a good night.**  
  
 **Gendry**  
  
She sucked in a breath and she could feel tears well up. That stupid, stupid, sweet, stupid man. He was probably the only person who would set a table in a romantic way for one person, the person he just broke up with. She wondered if this was a sign, that maybe they could figure it out. She warmed the food in the microwave and kept reading the note, tracing the line of Gendry’s handwriting. How could she let him go? She questioned for a second why they did broke up, but then she remembered. It would never work in a world with her family, her ancestry. And the lack of his.

She ate the food in silence, drank a few glasses more wine than usual and then went to bed early. She was terribly tired, because of the lack of sleep of the past couple of days. She wondered if there was a chance that their relationship could work. If there was a way that she could convince him to fight and her rich family to shut up about it. It was maybe the worst Thursday in years, but she had expected it to be a lot worse. She only knew that it would get worse, because now Gendry was still involved in this Thursday night. She never would admit how much she loved it, how much it did to her emotionally. But she didn’t want to leave it unnoticed. On the kitchen table lay a note, that he couldn’t miss.

**Thank you**  
 **Arya**  
  
Her night hadn’t been good and now she still couldn’t sleep because she wondered where he was. If he had a good night, if he had a good night without her. She really needed to talk with Sansa, she had had some break-ups and Arya needed advice, badly. She didn’t know if clinging to every token of your ex was the way a break-up worked, probably not. She signed, because they were never normal and none of Sansa’s break-ups were like this. Still some advice would be good and maybe some help with finding a new apartment. They couldn’t keep living with each other, because she knew that sooner or later she would break in front of him. Like she had that evening, she had to move on even when he still meant a lot to her. Yes she will call Sansa tomorrow.  
  
Then sleep finally took over.


	4. Rough Nights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all will like this chapter!

The headache was almost unbearable and he winced at every sound. The problem was that his workers didn’t had the decency to just let him be and ignore his state of mind. Well it’s also true that he had crashed at Anguy’s house and that more than half of them were with him in the pub last night. That was his Thursday night now, already for a few weeks, since that note that she had left him. From then on he crashed on Anguy’s couch, but only on Thursday night, because Anguy’s place was a mess, small, it smelled and the coach was even worst then in his own home. He remembered how he broke into tears with the note in the hand, in the middle of the night and totally hammered. Now it was the third Friday that he was hangover at work, luckily he was his own boss.

He still left dinner for her and his hear ached when he saw that she had eaten it, until this morning. He was sitting in his office with a bottle of whiskey. She had thrown it away. He had found the food he left her in the garbage. He wondered if she also had thrown it away the second week, the first probably not, because she had thanked him. They avoided each other almost perfectly, what was kind of impressive since they lived in the same apartment. The last time he had seen her was on Monday and he groaned at the thought of it.

_They had scored and he was yelling in victory, like always. It still felt empty, but he had to go on with his normal activities and watching sports was one of them. He had heard the shower before but hadn’t paid any mind to it earlier. He only noticed a change when the commercial came up and the lack of sound of running water. He actually had to pee and hoped she was done soon. He stalked to the hallway, there were three doors. The first one of the bathroom, the second of the bedchamber and the third was on the other side that lead to the small hallway to the front door. He wondered if she had been showering longer than normal to piss him of. Because he had said that he had to pee, a minute later the shower was on._

_The door of the shower opened and steam came out of the door. He almost wanted to scowled her for that, the fire-alarm could have gone off from the steam. He only lost his voice when he saw her, just with a towel around her body. It was not fair, he already hadn’t had sex for a while, so his testosterone level was already high and then she pulled this trick on him. As if she wanted to mock him. His mouth felt slack and he couldn’t keep his eyes of her retreating form. He didn’t think it could be worse and then she opened the door and dropped the towel. She didn’t even had the decency to make it look like an accident, she just smugly pulled it off. Worst of all he was ogling her, off course he was checking her out. She had a beautiful ass, an ass that was his only a few weeks ago. He wished that he could just follow her, beg her to take him back, but he still had some pride left. It was maybe minutes later, the door of the bedroom already closed, the towel still laying on the ground of the floor. He already had forgotten he had to pee. His cock wanted definitely something else than to pee. He then went into the bathroom, he needed a cold shower, now. He didn’t knew his frustration could get worse then that night._

  
The worst part was that his mood had been bad and his workers and friends had noticed. The young workers avoided him, hoping not to get fired. It was too bad that Anguy didn’t saw the need for that, just as his other friends. Especially when he got drunk and went out. They kept mocking him, but he knew they did it to lighten his mood. Too bad it didn’t work.

  
_“You just have to get laid man. You’re so stressed out.”_

_Anguy slept hi on the back, while Thoros was getting another drink for him. Thoros was the best drinking partner in the world, he only kept saying that Gendry resembled an drinking partner of his past and how happy he was he found again such a drinking partner. He always asked who, but Thoros never remembered when he was drunk. Gendry one time had asked about it when Thoros was sober, but his face got pale and he said it was just drunk babbling, nothing more._

_He just shrugged and took the beer from Thoros, who joined them again._

_“No really man. You are moody all the time and just brooding, it isn’t healthy. We maybe should go to the Peach again, just like old times Remember?”_

_“Yeah I remember and I also remember that we weren’t allowed inside again.”_

_“No Tom isn’t allowed, we are.”_   
  


Thoros laughed and agreed with Anguy off course. In this moment Gendry just found it to early after their break up to go to the Peach. Everyone knew what happened at the Peach behind doors and he wasn’t planning to go there and he told his friends that much. Anguy just shook his head and signed in defeat. Gendry smirked at that and took another sip of his drink. At the end of the night Thoros and he were plastered and he always wondered how he ended up at Anguy’s couch the next morning.

_“You can’t live like this Gendry.”_

_He rubbed his face and felt the familiar headache.”I know, I know.”_

_“But I think you don’t know! How long has it been? Three weeks? Four? And you two didn’t even made attempts to sell the house. What do you want to do? Is one of you moving out? Are you going to sell it and share the profit and find your own space? You need to do those things Gendry, because living together after a break up is not a good thing. So what do you want?”_

_  
_He hadn’t answered, still more focused on his headache. But Anguy was right, what was shocking. He and Arya both hadn’t made any attempts to sell the space or move out, which was strange. He just didn’t want to move out, so he should ask Arya if she could move out. She could stay at Robb’s place or Sansa’s, until she had found something for herself.

Gendry was just not planning on moving out and he could pay the rent hopefully alone and otherwise he could always rent some space, even when there was practically only one bedroom. But he could change the now study room in  a bedroom. He couldn’t leave this apartment, it was the only home he had ever had. After all orphanages, guesthouses and all people who adopted him for a short time. He just never had a home, until this apartment and maybe Tobho’s. But that was also never rally home, just a nice man, who had helped him to get a life.

He wasn’t about to move around again, he wasn’t about to leave his home. No he would stay in this apartment. He hoped he could buy Arya’s share of it and be done with it and then he could get his bedroom back, because it was his. His apartment, his bedroom and his home. And no one could take that away from him.

He was now already afraid, he had to confront Arya, talk to her. Frustrated Gendry wasn’t really into the mood of confront her. She would anger him, he knew that much and he was already frustrated, so his anger also would flare, it was inevitable. He wondered when he would see her, so he could confront her. She probably wouldn’t be around in the weekend, she never was lately. So it probably would be Monday. He at least had some time to prepare.


	5. Sunday Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this isn't for Christmas, but it is atleast before New Year.   
> I hope this chapter satisfied you, I wasn't totally happy with it, but I have some plans for future chapters and I needed to have this kind of filler chapter.   
> So a late Christmas present and I try to start writing for the next chapter today or tomorrow, because I don't have any stock left, so I'm afraid updates will be less regular.   
> And Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!

Everyone in her family knew what happened. The first Sunday she came home was the worst, there were family friends over at her parents' house. They all kept telling how sorry they felt for her and with fake pity in their eyes. The only ones who were truly sorry for her, were Robb and Sansa. Maybe Bran also a little bit, but he tried to comfort her with the words: "It's probably for the better."

She didn't want to hear those words, she wanted to hear the opposite that they could work it out, that it was just a small break. No one said that to her. Sansa just hugged her and told her that they would do some fun stuff the coming weeks and surprisingly hanging out with Sansa was fun. She didn't talked about boys or took her shopping. No they went for coffee and after that something stronger. They had been to a movie and she had invited Arya to a girls night, but that hadn't sound appealing. Sansa's friends were still too much from the higher society and she wasn't ready to get questions and remarks on her choices.

Robb had hugged her and was the only one who asked what happened. She finally could do her whole story. That was one of the only moments she had let herself cry in front of someone. Robb just hold her and listened, without commenting and Arya was really grateful for that.

Now it was the fourth week already after their break up. It felt just like yesterday, the pain was still the same and she had a lot of memories of the good times. She had pulled her last cart past week. The last chance for them to talk and make up, ok first make up and talk after that. Maybe it wasn't really the right way to use her body, she just hoped he had followed her. She had waited a short while and then she heard the shower and knew that he wouldn't come for her. Now she thought about it, that act had been stupid. She knew Gendry better than that, if he made a decision he stood by it. Once it was a characteristic of him that she found undoubtly attractive, now it was annoying. She was getting frustrated and knew in that moment that she had to move on, but how?

There was surprisingly no one else but her family at home. She took in the situation, everyone which include her parents, Robb, Sansa, Bran and even Jon at the table, Rickon was with a friend or that was her mother's explanation.

"Arya we need to talk," she looked at her father and she wondered what this was about. She made her way to the chair next to Robb and sat down. She eyed everyone cautiously and then looked at her father.

"About what?" she could feel the tension grow and she already felt anxious. Her parents were already prying on her since she broke the news of their break up. Last weekend luckily something scandalous had happened, she didn't remember what it was, just that it was terrible in her mother's opinion. Which meant that she could take the level of how terrible it was with a grain of salt. The other reason this was worse is that there would be no one else and that could only mean one thing. This was planned.

Jon started the conversation, "Arya I think you should get out of the apartment it isn't good to stay so close to your ex. And you can always crash at our place, we can turn the study room into a spare bedroom, me and Ygritte both don't use it."

"I agree with Jon, Arya, did you and Gendry already talked what you are going to do with the apartment? You should get rid of it as fast as possible otherwise you never get over it. You know you are always welcome in your old home, I know it's far from your work. But I'm sure you could get some days of to re-organize and get time to find a new home."

"You know that I live even closer to your work than you do now. I know I don't have a spare room, but my couch is ok and your always welcome. And I would think you prefer to live with a woman than with Jon and Ygritte and their shagging."

At that her mom made a very disturbed sound and the course of conversation wasn't pin-pointed on her anymore. She held in the breath that she was holding, she couldn't just let it go, that would draw attention. She blew the air out of her nose and kept thinking about what her family had said. They had been right. Of course they had been right. She ignored Robb who still looked mostly at her and he raised an eyebrow when she met his eye. She just looked away and wondered why she hadn't talked to Gendry.

Actually it was quite easy, last Monday she had one last hope, the last shimmering of hope that everything would be alright. That was gone now, she just didn't know how to start a normal conversation with Gendry. They hadn't really talked since their break-up, not a word that didn't end in a shouting match and that was the time she threw him out of the room.

It just didn't sound right, what her mother had said. 'A new home.' She was happy in their apartment, but that was the problem wasn't it? She didn't want to give up her old life and the apartment still linked them. Now she also wondered why Gendry hadn't start the conversation, did he also didn't want to give up? Had he still hope? She felt the feeling of hope grew and she immediately tried to ban it, it would only hurt more in the end. They were over, they both made it clear. They didn't had a future together, their worlds collided and it would just never work. Now those reasons sounded lame, it had already worked for years? Why wouldn't it work now? She had been perfectly happy.

"Arya, arya, ARYA!"

She looked up with a start, "Sorry daydreaming."

Sansa shook her head, but smiled. "I was wondering when you would bring your stuff over at my place?"

"Wait, what!?" Arya's eyes widened and then she took a breath," Sansa I'm really grateful for your offer, but if I have to choose between a bed or a couch the choice isn't that hard." She tried to laugh, to make a joke out of it. Of course that didn't work, she needed to come with something smart soon or she would lose. "Besides Robb and I are going to discuss the selling of the apartment with Gendry and look for a place for me, right Robb?" She pleaded with him, begged him with her eyes. The only problem was, Robb will do exactly this now with her in one of the coming days. Smart move.

The only good thing was that Robb nodded and confirmed what she said with a smile.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier, me and your siblings were really worried that you would keep living with him for half a year."

Sansa started laughing then and no one knew why until she explained it, "Mom even thought you would get back together, because you keep living together."

"That isn't a strange thought you know. Old feelings can come back when you stay close together. In this way she will never get over the break-up, go on with life, meet a new man."

The first thing Arya thought was: it are no old feelings. The second she clearly still wasn't done mourning over the break-up and she definitely wasn't interested in a new man in this moment. That would be much too soon. She still lived with Gendry and they had been together for years, she couldn't already see other men. It would be good for her to enjoy a single life she was sure of that.

After the talk, dinner was served. Sansa and her mother discussed some social event, while Robb and Bran next to her talked about Bran's university. Her father hadn't talked all this time. He was now talking silently with Jon, but overall they were silent and it gave Arya the chills. She just silently ate her food and listened to the limited conversations around her. Not that the conversation about the upcoming dance was interesting, and she didn't really follow the explanation of Bran about a course from him. The only thing she could think about is the talk she needs to have with Gendry. She still couldn't grip the idea that she had to move out of her home. It felt so unreal, they had lived there for more than four years and she couldn't imagine to live anywhere else. It was going to be hard to leave it behind, it was hard to leave the life she had lived for years behind. It were the best years of her life, she was sure of that. No nagging from Sansa that she would be alone forever, having her own place with her boyfriend without overprotective brothers around, it was perfect. Especially the free times at home, she didn't have to worry about being caught in the act. They could just walk around naked, and well did other stuff naked. She wondered if she ever will be that comfortable with anyone else again. No it doesn't need to be like that, she was going to work on her new life.

"Arya I will call you about the date for that meeting. Just know when you and Gendry both have time." She hugged Robb goodbye. She also will leave soon now, since when did she preferred her older brother? She used to favor Jon and after him Bran, because they were closer in age. She still favored Jon she had to admit, only not when the topic of discussion was her ex-boyfriend.

After dinner she had a good talk with Jon about everything but her situation. He told her about Ygritte and how she was doing and that Arya should come by for dinner sometime soon. It felt still restrained, but maybe when she moved out of the apartment her relationship with Jon will be back to normal. That was the first positive thing about it all and it couldn't possibly outweigh all the con's.

The first thing her father said to her was when she walked out the door. "Arya I'm really glad that you broke-up. I'm sure you will see in the end that it was the best thing to do." He hugged her but instead of feeling warm she felt cold because of his words. She never understood why her father didn't like Gendry. He had never showed any disrespect to people with a lower income. She just nodded and then stepped into her car. Sunday dinner didn't go as normal and it left her with a worse feeling than she already had. She just couldn't shake the discomfort off and the idea that most of her family had been so happy that she broke up.

The apartment was dark and quiet when she entered it. She hadn't noticed it was so late until it was dark out when she drove away. She spied Gendry laying on the couch and silently tiptoed passed him. Not because she cared for him and wanted him to get a good rest, but because she was not ready to confront him just yet. After she drank a glass of water she looked a little bit better at him. He looked so peaceful in his sleep and her heart ached. Yes she had to move out otherwise her demeanor would break. It was normal to still care for someone after being together for 5 years, right?  
His blanket had fallen of the couch by his legs and she pulled it back over him. Not because she cared.  
She also didn't look at him with longing. And she also didn't caressed his cheek gently now he was asleep and she had the opportunity. And she absolutely didn't give him a kiss on the top of his head, didn't notice the smile in his sleep, before she went to bed herself. It was just one slip, that made her feel all kind of things. She started to reconsider and then she thought about what her mother and Sansa had said about feelings. Her feelings never left the whole fight was about feelings.  
She knew now for sure she needed to move out or at least one of them. She couldn't live with Gendry anymore. But she also couldn't live anywhere else, she loved this apartment.  
She is going to call Robb tomorrow to make an appointment with him and she will just write a note to Gendry, he will be there, for sure.


	6. Signing Papers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a while, I had a huge writers block. I started writing again with my other story, which is the reason that I wasn’t really happy how that turned out. But with this one I took a little bit more time and I am actually quite happy with how this chapter turned out. It gave me hope and more ideas for this story, which hopefully for you means that I will upload a little bit faster. Or a lot faster. I don’t promise anything, but this chapter is here and I hope you enjoy it!

The note that was laid down on the kitchen counter some days ago stated it clearly, today Robb would come by and they would discuss the fate of the apartment. Gendry already knew his part of the bargain, he wanted to keep the apartment. It was close to his work and it already felt like his home. He still was happy that Robb would help with the negotiation, because he was emotional vulnerable when he had Arya opposite him. He hadn’t see her since last week, she hadn’t been home in the weekend and one of them was out of the house at least until midnight during the week. It was now Wednesday evening and he had his paperwork ready, which was a miracle because he hated paperwork. He wouldn’t go out of the apartment and that was it. He would stay here and ask for her share and arrange the cost, it was that simple.

He heard sound from the front door, Arya’s clear voice could be heard in the kitchen and the longing started building up again. No Gendry, you need to move on and get your act together. He just finished making coffee and filled a mug for himself, in the meanwhile he heard the footsteps coming in his direction. He took a breath, try to steady himself for the discussion that for sure would start and then he turned around. He kept his face blank when he saw Robb and Arya standing in the kitchen. When he first met people he always had a blank expression or looked angry, that came in handy now. He could keep his emotions to himself, no one needed to know how he truly felt. He mentioned with his head to the kitchen table and sat down on one side, with his paperwork in front of him. Arya clearly was less prepared, because he didn’t saw any documents from her on the table when they sat down.

“Hey Gendry, good to see you.” Robb tried to keep it light of course. Trying to get rid of the tension that everyone could feel in this room. The problem was that Arya now nervously shifted and Gendry reacted with a tight smile. The tension was now even ticker in the air.

He cleared his throat, just say it and arrange it and you can go on with your life. “I have been thinking about what to do now, for the past weeks and I know what I want.” He made eye contact for a fleeting second with Arya to be the dominant in this conversation, but soon shifted his steely gaze to Robb. First he would be more influenced by his gaze, Arya was used to it now, and the second reason was of course that Robb will be the reasonable one in this negotiation, for sure. “I don’t want to move out of this apartment, this is my home now. I think that Arya is able to find some living arrangements with someone.” He grabbed one of his documents and shove it to their side of the table, “You just have to sign this, to declare that I own the apartment.”

“No way!” Arya was clear with her response.

Robb raised an eyebrow and looked at Arya, “It is a fair offer, and we all offered our place for you. You could move out easily, look for your own place and then this is all over.”

That felt like a stab in the heart, it was over, they were over. Why can’t he just accept that or actually why can’t he still not comprehend that?  Not that any of what went on in his heart showed in his face. He just wanted her to sign the paper right? He wanted her gone, so he could sleep in his own bed again.

“No it is not fair because why can he keep the apartment? I want to keep it, he can find his own place.” Arya stated and then Gendry’s eyes widened. No that is not what he wanted and now his face also showed his surprise.

“This apartment is close to my work. I don’t have a place to stay before I would move out and I just don’t want to move out. This place has been my home for a long time and there are no apartments close by my work that are this good. I have the paperwork already here, you just have to sign it.” He gave the paper a small push to Arya. Please don’t make this harder than it is, please just sign it and then it is all over.

She crossed her arms and in that moment he knew it would be a hard negotiation, “No this also has been mine home for a long time and I don’t want to move out.”

“Please Arya, mom and dad would want you to sign.” Thanks Robb that was the worst thing to say. Did he really think that Arya would fall for that. Forbid her something and she would desire it. She was going for the hard way.

“I am not doing this for Mom and Dad, this is about what I want and I want to keep living in this apartment.” She was glaring at Robb and Gendry almost felt as an intruder. But this was not about Arya and her family, this was about him and keeping his home, the only home he had ever known.

“Well I am not moving out.” That was the only statement he could make without looking weak. He just wanted to make that clear. They could never kick him out, because the apartment was just as well hers as it was his. That was the reason that she just needed to sign the papers, giving her part of the apartment to him. Only she wouldn’t be Arya if she didn’t made it difficult for him.

“And I am also not moving out.” She didn’t say anything more, she now just started a glaring contest with him, instead of Robb. He wasn’t going to back down now, he kept staring in her grey eyes. They were beautiful, full of fire and he tried to forget the feelings that he had for the girl behind the eyes. It was the hardest thing to do for him, he had know her for years and he shouldn’t think about that. When he thought about that, he wondered why they had broken up and that would be fatal.

Robb interrupted their staring contest, “And that is not going to work. Or you both sell the apartment, which also would be fair, but it also would take time, before both of you have another place and before we have a buyer. Or one of you takes the whole apartment and Arya, he has the papers ready. We could deal with it now and then you can move out within a few days. That is what I would recommend.” Gendry then started to wonder if Robb even knew Arya. She really wouldn’t be moved by his recommendation and argument, the opposite actually. She would try to find another option than the ones he had given her.

Then Arya looked at him and ignored Robb, “Okay I have an idea.” Keep your emotions in check Gendry, she reads you better than anyone, make sure you don’t show her anything and she continued while he tried to keep his face blank. “We will see who first will move out. We are adults and when we meet someone else we probably will move in there. So why try to find another place and spend money on moving, when we both can stay here. The past weeks also went okay and well we both don’t want to move and I also know we are both to stubborn to sign a damn paper. We both need a better reason to move out and when someone has a good reason to move out then the papers lay here to sign, I will make sure I also get the right papers.”

“No Arya, you can’t do that.” Robb looked at her with wide eyes, “they are not going to be happy about that.”

That was the reason why he didn’t say no and because she was right, they both were too stubborn and from somewhere inside he hoped that she still had the same kind of feeling that he also had. The feeling of not being able to let go yet, the same thing you have when you are addicted, he needed to slowly get used to the idea that it was over. He still didn’t accepted it fully and that was normal after years of friendship and love, right? The problem was also that the reason for their break up never had been lack of love, it had been lack of acceptance from the outside world, her world and family. In fairytales they make you believe that you can overcome that, but this was reality and only now he started to realize that. It only had taken him a few years of harsh reality, in the beginning their love had blinded them. And their relationship had crumbled after the feelings of being in love were gone and he would always love her, but in reality that would never be enough. Or that was what he told himself every day. Still he couldn’t let go just yet and that was the reason for his answer, “okay.”

“What.” Now Robb looked at him incredulously. “It is a crazy idea and do you really agree with it?”

“Well she is right, I will just buy a better couch that is more comfortable and it will be alright. I don’t expect that I will move out first and she will say the same, but we will when we meet someone else. So to be housemates isn’t the worst idea.” And I can’t let it go just yet.

He tried not to look smug when Arya even looked surprised for a moment. “Well then that is arranged, thank you Robb for helping.” Arya already stood up and wanted to walk out.

“Wait Arya, nothing is arranged, you just prolong the inevitable and no one will be okay with this arrangement.” Robb argued with her while standing up to follow her. She turned around and then looked to him.

“Well we are okay with it and I think that is the only thing that matters, goodnight Robb. I will let you out, follow me.” She walked out of the kitchen and he could still hear Robb arguing with her. Robb was probably right, this was a bad idea, a very bad idea. Because now he would know when she would be over him and started dating a guy that was from her uptown world. Gendry didn’t know if he was ready for that. He finished his coffee and went back to the couch. He had been serious though, he would buy a new couch, this one was old and not comfortable enough to sleep on for the coming weeks and even months. He turned off the lights in the living room and closed his eyes. He had been tired of his anxiousness the whole day and now he could finally sleep.

He was almost asleep when he heard Arya walking to the kitchen, to get a glass of water. He knew that she likes to have some water before she went to sleep. Even when she could be stealthy, he was a light sleeper and he couldn’t fall asleep with her moving around. After a few minutes he heard the switch of the kitchen light, to turn it off. He heard Arya walking by, but then he didn’t hear her footsteps anymore.

“Goodnight, Gendry.” Her soft voice pained him. She was already gone to the bedchamber, before he could decide if he should answer her. He murmured, “goodnight Arya,” and then went to sleep.

Later he wondered if he had been drunk when he agreed to her terms. She just had to sign the damn paper, now he had to live with her in the same apartment for a much longer time and he didn’t know how he was going to survive that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also have a one-shot, not related to this universe. That I probably will upload tomorrow!


End file.
